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 Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:31 am
It was late when Trio got home, parking the car and tugging the harp from her back seat. The harp settled awkwardly but carefully in her arms, and she started around to the front door. As always, a silent companion padded beside her, the dark blue fur blending into the shadows with surprising ease. She glanced down at Sankouri, a fond grin on her face. "So what do YOU think of this?" she asked, glancing back as the sounds started up in the house. It never failed - she'd get halfway up the walk to the porch and the barking would start, coupled after a moment by the sounds of various footsteps making their way to various places. Sankouri didn't answer her, as she knew he wouldn't, and just as the pair reached the front door, Aziraphale - her angel-turned-butler - answered it.
"Hey, Az," she said, slipping inside and watching as Aziraphale started to respond, then frowned at the large, cloth-covered object in her hands. Before he could ask, she laughed. "It's an old harp - a new shopkeeper in town gave it to me. Right up your alley, hmm?"
Aziraphale frowned, raising one eyebrow as he reached for a corner of the cloth and lifted it enough to peer at the aged wood within. "Hardly," he said, sounding alternately horrified and fascinated. "I never could play a harp. Tell me you're cleaning it before you do anything else with it?"
Trio snickered, shifting the harp into a temporary one-armed grip before reaching up to ruffle Aziraphale's blond hair with the other. "Nope. But don't worry. I'm setting it outside. With all of you around, I think it's more likely to attract attention elsewhere."
"Attract attention?" Aziraphale asked, as Trio got both arms back around the harp and started down the hall to the back door. It was here when Sankouri veered off, padding into the kitchen in the hopes of dinner sometime soon. Normally, Aziraphale would follow the Zurui and feed him, but today, the angel frowned followed Trio instead. "What sort of attention do you intend to attract?"
"Fey attention, I think," Trio said quietly, glancing at Aziraphale. The angel's expression of worry didn't lessen, despite her grin. "At least, that's the idea I got from talking to the shopkeeper. "Something like that, anyway. Az, before you panick, between you and Ailis and my other angel-touched creatures around, do you honestly think someone of ill intent is even going to come close to this place?"
"Jaelle," Aziraphale reminded Trio. "Malv. Need I go on?" His dry voice was still a touch too sweet to carry the weight of the sarcasm he used.
"Hush, you," Trio said, though her grin faded a bit. "They have a place here, too, and you know it." She heard Aziraphale sigh as they passed through the back door and came to rest on the back porch. Many of Trio's companions were out here, enjoying a last chance to stretch their legs before heading in to sleep. Setting the harp down, Trio dropped to sit and started unwrapping it slowly. As the cloth dropped away, Aziraphale noticed one thing that struck him as odd.
"There are no strings!"
Trio snickered. "Of course not. They've probably broken or rotted away by now, Az," she said gently, running a hand lightly over the patchy wood along the top of the harp. "I don't think there needs to be strings, honestly. It's not meant to be played. It'll attract attention on its own..."
"Where do you intend to put it?" the angel asked, carefully settling on a chair nearby. "In the yard?" Even as he said it, they both caught sight of Jaelle tugging a stick from Ailis and darting off with a gleeful laugh as the angelic zurui followed.
"Beyond, I think," Trio said slowly, her eyes narrowing as her gaze lifted from the pair to the treeline beyond. "...In fact, I think I know just the spot..." With a grin, she rose, grabbing the harp. "Go see to Sankouri, okay? I'll be back inside soon." She slipped her arm through the center of the harp, almost shouldering it as she made her way down the steps into the yard itself. She was more or less ignored - the others were having far too much fun to bother with her except for a brief nuzzle here or greeting there. And then she reached the fenceline, and opened the gate there.
She was greeted with a short stretch of ground, and then the beginnings of the forest rising up like a wall before her. "I think here might suit you best," she said to the harp, turning and glancing back as she looked for her window. Finding it, she found a place in the treeline where it dipped inward, creating almost an alcove, and set the harp down carefully. "I can see you just fine from here. And you're more likely to call to someone interested here than you are closer to my house. Too much noise."
She started to step back, then changed her mind and flopped down, grinning softly at the wood. "I hope you'll like it here. We try to take care of each other, at least." Reaching out, she brushed her hand lightly over the wood again. As she came to the edge, she heard her name called and sighed, getting to her feet. "No rest for the weary, hmm? I'll keep an eye on you." And then she hurried back, already wondering what crisis needed her mediation.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:37 am
As she moved to turn away, a light breeze moved through the trees... and just for a moment, she could swear the harp struck a chord.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Trio glanced back at the harp, frowning at it as she knelt again. Ignoring the sounds of someone calling for her from the house, she stared at the center of the harp thoughtfully. When she squinted, it almost seemed like the moonlight played off of strings attached. She hesitated, slowly reaching out a hand, and nearly falling forward a bit when it passed through the center of the stringless harp without resistance.
"Stress," she muttered, getting to her feet. She started to turn, then hesitated, remembering what the shopowner had said to her. "...Or maybe magic." A hesitation, then, "I'll be nearby... if you want me."
One hand brushed over the top of the harp again, and then she hurried off to see what the fuss was.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 8:11 pm
Trio settled into the chair on the back porch carefully. The air was crisp, still heavy with the dew from overnight, and the silver-grey of false dawn was still fresh in the sky. This was her time... in an hour or so, the others would wake and Trio would pad back to bed to rest and relax for a while before hauling herself up for real and getting ready for work. She'd done this ever since first moving to the country, back when it was so new that the mere smell of the fresh air gave her shivers. Now, it was an old routine, comfortable and familiar. A blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hands cupping the hot mug holding her coffee as her eyes automatically sought out the newest addition to her home - the harp resting just this side of the treeline.
The chord before lingered with her. She was almost certain she'd heard it, despite how absolutely ridiculous it was to think that a stringless harp could make any such sound. The darkness playing tricks with her - anticipation and stress and the wonder of potential lingering in her mind. She glanced down at her companion, the constantly silent zurui curled around her feet, then shook her head. Asking his opinion would do no good - either he couldn't speak, or he wouldn't. Either way, he was her most trustworthy companion, and the one who was least useful when it came to conversation.
Instead she sipped at her coffee again, eyes seeking the wood of the harp again. It was pretty well invisible in this light, but she could still watch where it sat - she knew its position, at least. I wonder..., she thought to herself, as she tucked into the blanket a little more, whether it will really attract anything at all...
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 9:41 pm
In the early morning light, it's difficult to see... but it almost appears that there is something out by the harp!
If Trio goes to investigate, she will find nothing and no one there... except a set of small footprints around the harp and vanishing off into the trees.
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Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:31 am
"Something's there," Trio frowned, pushing half out of her seat. The blanket around her shoulders fell into the space left behind, puddling in the seat as she set her mug on one arm absently and stood, making her way to the edge of the porch. Another movement - barely visible in the hazy light before dawn - and she was padding down the steps. "I should've put the harp closer to the house. It's probably some animal sniffing at it." She paused after a couple of steps, glancing down to where Sankouri had followed to pad alongside her, and nodded. "I HOPE it's just sniffing!"
The two made their way through the yard silently after that. It wasn't conscious - the day was just too new for noise yet, the silence like a blanket over them. Trio shivered a bit - without the warmth of her coffee, the day seemed colder - and curled her hands around her arms, rubbing sharply against the material there as she reached the gate. Whatever had been near the harp was gone - she could now see the dark wood a bit more clearly, and there was nothing moving there. "What do you think, Sankouri? Shall we check it out?"
Cold green eyes peered back at her before the zurui moved forward, standing patiently near the opening of the gate. Trio chuckled, pushing the wood open and waiting for her companion to pad forward before doing the same. The gate latched behind her, and she followed Sankouri out toward the trees, watching the zurui sniff lightly at the ground. He paused abruptly, his nose pointed downward, and Trio frowned, bending to one knee to examine the ground more carefully.
Footprints... Trio glanced over at Sankouri, then looked back at the ground. There were definitely footprints, near the harp and heading back into the woods. Wonder just what I attracted... Trio turned toward the harp, frowning for a moment as the first glimmers of real dawn struck the wood and seemed to glitter in the center of it, almost as though the rays were shining off strings. But the feeling passed quickly, and after a moment, Trio was looking again at a battered and worn, stringless harp. "Right," she whispered, brushing her fingers against the wood for a long moment before turning and making her way back toward the house.
Her hands came up to close around her arms again, but this time, in more of a hug than to get warm. "San..." she said, and the zurui's eyes lifted at the sound of his never-used nickname. "Those were humanoid footprints, weren't they? I mean... that wasn't some animal sniffing around the harp, was it?"
A soft whuff answered her, the zurui's three tails waving lazily behind him. Trio paused, glancing backward before sighing. "I hope whatever it is will be friendly...," she whispered thoughtfully, then glanced down. "And... I think it might be an idea to pay that shop another visit, hmm?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 3:11 pm
Trio paused on her way to work, Sankouri and Levon beside her. She frowned, glancing down the cobblestone path leading to the shop she'd recently been given her harp at, then glanced back at her companions. Sankouri's face was serene, and Levon just looked amused.
"Something's eating you," he muttered, reaching up to catch a wandering pixamouse as it approached his ear and tucking it safely back into his pocket. "You been there before?"
Trio nodded, offering a quiet smile. "That's where the harp came from. The one out by the trees? I thought I might duck in... see if the owner's there." She didn't mention the footprints, but Levon didn't need to hear about them. The kitsune was very familiar with Trio's moods.
"Go on. I'll head over and take care of the pixas. You go ahead and...," he paused then, tilting his head as he considered something before a slow, feral grin lit his face. "Take the day off. Do whatever... just don't let me see hide or hair of you in the shop today. Got it?"
Trio snorted, sticking out her tongue and nodding before turning back to the shop. She waited until Levon was out of sight before reaching down to pet Sankouri. "We could ask about those footprints, hmm?" she murmured, and when Sankouri nodded, she rose again, striding toward the shop. "Yes."
Unaware of Trio's arrival, someone else was on her way to the shop as well, though her arrival was far less dignified than the other woman's. Karma had quickly discovered that Arkanti (Arkie, as she had already nicknamed him) was quite a handful when he was not cold and miserable beneath a tree in her backyard.
"Arkie, stop kicking. Arkie, don't. Arkie, please hold still..." she said in a near-constant stream of words as she tried to keep a hold on the squirming infant in her arms. For as tiny as he was, that certainly didn't seem to slow him down much and he grinned broadly, his tiny hands closing on everything they could reach. Karma's jacket, her hair, his own ears, leaves of the trees they passed by, it didn't matter as long as he was grabbing SOMETHING...
"We're almost there, if you could--" she cut off abruptly as he caught her nose and squeezed it as hard as he could, bringing tears to her eyes as she pulled back out of the baby's reach. Ow... "If you could just hang on..." she finished, trying to regain her composure. Having already raised two kids, thankfully, she'd not forgotten how to be patient.
It had become apparant to her as she'd gotten Arkanti cleaned up, fed, and dressed in one of Kendall's old sleepers that was far too big on him, that whoever had left him didn't intend to return for him. He was her responsibility now and she wanted to know why.
And who better to tell her than Jaden himself since he'd obviously been a key player in this fiasco? She wasn't angry, per-sey, she just wished she'd gotten some say in the deal as she strode across the field toward the unfinished building therein.
Trio had just reached the door when she heard the stream of words from Karma's mouth. She turned, watching the foxcoon's arrival with not-quite-concealed amusement. She couldn't quite get a good look at whatever-it-was twisting and squirming in Karma's arms, but she nodded to the woman. "Hello! Didn't expect to see you here. How are you?"
Karma's ears perked at the sound of the voice as she looked up to see Trio and smiled in greeting. "Oh, hi! Well, its been a strange morning to tell you the truth, I--" she paused, finding her mouth suddenly full of chubby green fingers as she reached up and guided Arkie's hand away from her lips. "I seem to have a visitor..." she finished.
The baby in her arms gave a happy shriek in response and reached up immediately with his other hand, grabbing a lock of her hair and pulling on it hard, making her wince.
"You wouldn't happen to know who runs this place, would you...?" she asked hopefully, trying to gently detach Arkanti's grip from her tresses. "I've met him once, and I have some questions for him..."
She managed to detach the hand from her hair only to have it make a grab for her nose again. This kid took clingy to a whole new level!
Trio stopped dead, watching the odd-looking infant in Karma's arms through the eyes of someone long used to seeing the unusual. And then she did something any woman in the thrall of her maternal instinct would do. "Oh my god," she beamed, leaning forward until her face was near Arkanti's. "He's ADORABLE!" She lifted a hand, tickling under the baby's chin as she lifted her eyes to grin at Karma. "Can I hold him?!"
Arkie seemed to answer before Karma got the chance to as he reached out to Trio with his tiny arms, the tips of his right fingers snagging the collar of her shirt while the left hand flailed at the air seeking purchase elsewhere. Karma winced and rebalanced her grip on him before he could fall before giving Trio a somewhat tired smile.
"Careful, he's kind of slippery." she warned, beginning to hand him over, trying to keep his tail from winding around her forearm like a monkey's and making the process more difficult.
"He's gorgeous," Trio said, carefully taking him and tucking him into the crook of one arm as she lifted her other hand until the baby could see her bracelet. "There you go," she purred softly, as he grabbed at it, then glanced back up at Karma with a gleeful smile. She no longer seemed to notice that she was standing outside the shop's door, or that Karma had asked her something about the shopowner previously. "You look tired!" she did say, catching sight of the weariness in Karma's eyes. "He keeping you up?"
"Hm...?" Karma was unaware of just how much in a disarray she was, but it likely would have explained the Albertsons clerk's face when she showed up earlier and bought several cans of infant formula and some bottle equipment as the twins' baby essentials had long been worn out and thrown away.
Or maybe it had been because she'd obtained said items by literally running through the store like her hair was on fire and her a** was catching, having left Arkie home with Meka and Kendall while she ran her urgent errand.
"He hasn't really been keeping me up, per-sey, because he just got here today, actually." She kept a wary eye on Arkanti as she spoke, making sure he wasn't going to get too out of hand. He, however, seemed perfectly happy for the moment investigating Trio's bracelet and cooed happily as he made every effort to wrestle it into his mouth.
"That's actually why I'm here. Jaden....I THINK it was Jaden, I don't know who else it might have been..." she waved a hand dismissively "...left me with a bridle a few days ago. I thought it was all some sort of joke when I read the note that came with it about hanging it from a tree, but I woke up this morning, it was gone, and there he was." she said, nodding at Arkie.
One of the baby kelpie's oversized ears had flopped over his face, making him squawk and release his hold on the bracelet to deal with this unwelcome turn of events.
Trio watched Arkie battle with his ear, listening to Karma. "The shopowner? I never did catch his name... but he gave me a harp when I was here last," she noted, then considered, finally tearing her eyes away from the baby to peer at Karma. "Did your bridle have footprints around it at all?"
"His name is Jaden Silvermoon....or so he told me, anyway." She was usually terrible with names, but really...how did you forget a name like Jaden Silvermoon? Especially when such an odd character went with it? She reached out, gingerly taking Arkie's ear by its tip and moving it aside for him.
The baby grinned at this, and then immediately grabbed the ear again and yanked it back over his face, stuffing the tip in his mouth. .....oh well.
"Footprints..." she said quickly, getting back to the subject at hand. "I don't know about all around it, but yes. The tree I hung it from had some footprints at the base of it just yesterday, actually. I thought someone i lived with had left them there, but they were too small...and the bridle wasn't where I'd hung it the night before."
The boy in question moved along the path in Barton's West Field, whistling softly as he headed towards the small house/shop settled amidst the trees. Upon seeing Karma and Trio there, he nodded to them politely with a grin. "Hello, ladies," he said jovially, then waved to Arkie as he moved past them and disappeared into the house.
Trio watched Jaden move into the house, muttering a soft, "Speak of the devil..." Slanting her eyes at Karma, even as she settled the squirming child a little more solidly into her arms, she asked, "Shall we?"
She didn't wait for the foxcoon to answer. Instead, she ducked into the house after Jaden, Sankouri padding at her heels. She shifted Arkie until he was up against her shoulder, using one hand to keep his head from flopping around as she called out to Jaden, "Um, excuse me?"
Karma followed after Trio immediately, likewise wanting answers. From over Trio's shoulder Arkie continued to grab at things. Her shirt, the doorframe on the way in, a futile reach for the inside wall...
If he was this energetic as an infant, Karma was somewhat grateful his parents hadn't stayed around to introduce themselves...what -was- he? That question came a close second to "Why me?" on her list of things she intended to find out.
"Yes?" Jaden answered, turning to face them. Inside the house, his appearance was MUCH different than either of them remembered. While his clothing stayed the same, and the long black hair was still braided nearly to his waist, the rest was far different. Beneath the cuffs of the shorts he wore, russet-furred legs could be seen, bent in such a way that they could not possibly be human. A pair of neatly trimmed cloven hooves rested against the floor, and one could see that he had HORNS, of all things, sprouting from just at his hairline. His ears were sharply pointed, and the bland grey eyes now sparkled almost a silver colour.
He looked to the two curiously, as if not possibly understanding what they could need HIM for.
Trio froze. While she knew intellectually that she had several friends who were demons, she'd never seen one who so resembled the stories of her youth... and it was a little unnerving at best. She hugged Arkie a little more protectively, even as her brain finally managed to get a word in edgewise with her instincts. He's not a demon. He's just... something else you've never seen before. That's pretty damn common here!
Outwardly, it took several moments before her smile softened into something other than a tense facsimile. "It's... about the harp..."
"And I wanted to know, what--" her words trailed off, trying to grok Jaden's new appearance. Likewise, she knew all manner of Gaia's oddities, but there was something different about him. Not just in the odd appearance he took while in the shop, but in his very being.
It was unsettling and intriguing all at the same time, creating a curious mix of feelings within her as she shifted her eyes to Trio, waiting for her to go first since she'd already asked.
Only Arkie seemed unperturbed by Jaden as he continued to babble and laugh boisterously, twisting in Trio's grip until he was facing the goat-legged man and reaching out to him. Apparantly he had already decided that it was now an unspoken custom that everyone he met must hold him and allow him to grab things before their friendship could be cemented.
Smiling, Jaden took Arkie into his arms and held the boy up for a moment, letting him see the world. He then lowered Arkie into his arms and looked to the two with a smile. "Ah yes, the harp... I trust that you've put it outside, like I asked?"
The satyr was nonplussed by the reactions... he'd gotten worse in the past, that much was for certain.
"There were footprints around it this morning," Trio said quietly, relaxing a bit more when he didn't do something crazy with Arkie. She looked at Karma, then back at Jaden, then asked the question that was likely plaguing both women.
"...Why?"
Karma's eyes shifted to Trio and then back to Jaden, having not much to add onto that as she waited for the answer and watched as he held Arkanti in his arms. She was sure that there must be a reasonable explanation for everything....maybe not one she might agree with, but a reasonable one all the same. She HOPED so, at least...
Silver eyes blinked at them for a moment, the boy tilting his head to the side as Arkie grabbed hold of a horn and yanked on it hard. "Why what?" It took him a moment to catch on.
"OH! The foot prints! They were likely Faeries." As if that expained everything, he went back to toying with Arkie, seeming to enjoy the boy's antics immensely.
".....but why us?" Karma pressed, fighting the urge to slap her forehead. She couldn't tell if he was being purposely evasive or just selectively dense about the subject. "I found him in my yard this morning." she said, gesturing at Arkie. "And a note."
She left it at that, deciding to hold off on asking him how the hell he'd slipped the bridle into her jacket pocket in the first place and stick with the more pressing issues for now.
"Why you? Because otherwise, we would die." Jaden moved to sit in a plush chair that was against one wall, motioning the woman to sit as well. There was plenty of room. He balanced Arkie on one furred knee, smiling softly at him. "That bridle was a relic of Arcadia... fey-touched, and attracted Arkie's parents to you. Once they determined that you would be able to raise their child, they left him to you. You see, our land is dying... and without the people of this realm, we won't exist any longer."
His expression sombered then as he looked to Arkie and threaded his fingers through the boy's hair. "There are some humans... or non-humans, as the case may be... who are 'touched', as we say. They have the ability to see beyond four walls and realise that there is more out there somewhere. Those are the kind of people who we look for. Once one is found, and the child placed with them, he or she bonds to their new parent and with their assistance, adapts to this world... and therefore survives."
"So....what you're saying is he's been left for me to raise for sure...?" she said, making sure she understood. She had mixed feelings on the matter, honestly. Part of her was honored to be trusted with such a responsibility and had started to grow attached to the infant, but another part of her...the tired worn-out disgruntled part of her...groaned at the thought of living through another stint of diaper-changing, potty-training, bottlefeeding, and late-night screamfests.
She vented a soft sigh through her nose, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "....is there anything else I should know? About him? About his parents? Anything...?"
"He's a Kelpie," Jaden said simply, grinning to the boy and lighting up when the gesture was returned. "He's a water Faerie, in the barest sense of the term. He'll love water. That's about all I can tell you, because each child is different." He glanced to the two then, lifting one brow. "After all... if my human caretaker believed everything she'd heard about satyrs, she'd likely have left me in the trees where she found me."
Trio sat quietly. Once karma had taken over the conversation (with understandably more reason to be asking the questions, of course), she'd settled back, listening carefully. After all, whatever the woman beside her was going through, she would be, too.
So she curled up as Sankouri settled his head on her lap, and stroked the soft blue fur while she listened and watched... and wondered just how long it would take for the faeries around her to decide whether she could be trusted.
One thing Jaden had said that caught at her... obviously, if he was talking of surviving due to the bonding, these were very necessary steps... And between Aishiki and a few of the others in her home, she was beginning to wonder just how important humans... and, er, humanoid types... really were to this world.
Well, not just one thing... "Satyrs?" THAT explained a lot.
Karma, unsure if Trio was simply confirming what he'd said, or if she didn't quite know what a satyr was, turned her head to explain to save Jaden the trouble.
"Satyrs are goat-legged men." she explained. "They're kind of infamous for their...erm....their 'appetites'. They're like fauns, I think..." She eyed Jaden out of the corner of her eye for approval or denial of this statement. She really wasn't sure about details, after all, having only ever read about satyrs in mythology books and the occasional bizarre fanfic.
Trio nodded. While she wasn't completely clueless when it came to mythology, she was rather... less versed in it than many of her companions. "So... how much do you know about Kelpies?" she asked Karma, then frowned. "And... um... is there any way to tell what we're attracting? So that we can maybe... er... read up on them a bit?" The last went, of course, to Jaden.
Karma looked to Arkie somewhat worriedly. She DID know about Kelpies, and their description wasn't very flattering. "They're from Scottish mythology." she explained. "They're famous for pretending to be wayward horses, offering people travelling alone a ride home on their backs, and then running straight for the water, jumping in and disappearing. Sometimes they turn into handsome men and woo girls into the water for a swim and try to drown them.."
Arkie, if he bore any tendancies to these things, gave no indication of it as he made a grab at one of Jaden's horns, giving a high-pitched squeal before giggling happily, his tail lashing behind him.
Trio's eyes widened as she regarded the adorable little baby currently playing tug-of-war with Jaden's head. "Well... nothing's guaranteed, right?" she hazarded, beginning to have images of her home overrun by a miniature hellion.
"I can hope, at least..." she sighed, cursing her luck. "My neighbors look at me strangely enough as it is, the last thing I need to do is explain why phantom horses have been abandoning their kids in mud puddles..."
But who knew? Maybe Arkie WOULD be an exception to the rule...after all, it wasn't as though he was old enough to have absorbed the kelpie lifestyle, right? Perhaps a different sort of influence would create a different sort of personality.
Trio snickered at the image, her grin returning. "He can always come play at my house after it rains. Plenty of mud puddles there!" she offered, grinning at Karma. "Do you think Kendall and Raven will take to him?"
The foxcoon's brow furrowed at that. "Don't know..." she said quietly. She hadn't had much of a chance to think about it, in fact. Things were chaotic enough as it was between hers and Youko's twins without having to worry about whether or not they would accuse her of replacing them with this child that had shown up literally out of nowhere.
"Kendall didn't seem too offput by him when i asked him and Meka to watch him while I went out to get formula and bottles, but I don't think he knew at that point we were keeping him..."
Trio considered, wincing as she thought of what Karma might be facing on her return home. "I'm sure it'll work out, at least, right? At least they're not only children facing the first sibling... er, sorta... ever. Right?" She reached out, laying a gentle hand on Karma's arm as she spoke. "And Youko would probably help in explaining... He's got some experience with it recently, after all."
Jaden was busy swaying his head from side to side, bringing shrieks from Arkie as the boy clung to him and was nearly dragged along with each motion. Apparently, he was one who didn't mind roughhousing with children. He barely paid much notice to the two women, letting htem converse with themselves.
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Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 6:57 pm
As Faeries are wont to do, the switch happened early in the morning... with coffee cup in hand, Trio managed to catch a glimpse of movement by the fence once more, this time a bit more rushed. As quick as a blink, it was gone... but instead of the harp being seen, there now seemed to be a lighter patch of seamist green visible just beneath the edge of the grass.
Laying there, nestled into the blanket wrapped around her, was a small Faerie child.
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:08 pm
Another early morning, but this time, Trio was dwelling on the conversation from before. "What is it about humans, Sankouri?" she asked softly, though she knew already that was far too narrow a category for the vast array of inhabitants in Gaia. "Why do so many creatures seem to need us for survival?" She tucked herself deeper into the blanket on the chair, staring out at the woods beyond the fence thoughtfully. "Do you suppose it has something..." She trailed off, frowning when she thought she saw some movement out by her harp again. "They're back."
Sankouri glanced up, his ears perked forward as he, too, watched the treeline carefully. "What do you suppose they're doing out there?" Trio asked, her voice dropping unconsciously to a whisper. "Should we have acknowledged them? Should we leave?" She spoke as though the zurui would answer, though she knew he wouldn't. And indeed, no verbal comment was forthcoming, though he did lean in to nuzzle her elbow briefly.
By the time Trio glanced down at Sankouri and looked back, the movement was gone. For a moment, Trio simply nodded. And then the very first faint ray of dawn caught something pale where the harp had been. "...What?" Trio whispered, again abandoning her coffee. She stood slowly, not wanting to frighten anyone away, and made her way across the dew-laden grass in the back yard. Sankouri, ever the faithful companion, padded alongside her again, silent and suspicious. As they grew closer, he lifted his muzzle, sniffing the air thoughtfully. A smell wafted to him in the cool wind of early dawn, and he lowered his head again, suspicions confirmed. Even knowing what they were about to face, he said nothing, choosing to let Trio discover on her own.
And discover the woman did. She reached the fence before the light was strong enough for her to clearly see what had replaced the harp, and it was only when the soft mound of sea-green blanket moved that she froze, fully understanding. Her hands fumbled on the gate as she finally came to, fighting with the latch for several minutes before Trio gave up and started climbing the fence. Is it... oh god, it must be FREEZING out here in the early morning... she thought worriedly, hopping down from the top of the fence. Sankouri finally made a sound, barking sharply once at Trio in protest. When she didn't respond, he pawed at the gate, trying to tell his companion just how unimpressed he was with being left behind.
Trio was oblivious, almost running to where the blanket was moving slowly. The child within was half-awake when Trio finally knelt in the grass, heedless of the damp soaking her jeans. The blonde spared a distracted moment to be grateful she lived in the country - there was no one around to see as she stripped off her shirt, shivering in the chill wind. She lay the garment on her lap, sitting back on her heels to offer a flatter surface before she reached out, gathering the tired baby up. "Shh," she whispered, brow furrowing, and she paid no real attention to the odd color of skin or the fins on the girl's head. What she DID notice was the blanket, already wet and cold and sticking to quickly-chilling skin. "Shh, I'm here now," she said, awkwardly unwrapping the child. She'd thought as much - the blanket was beautiful but there should've been a BASKET or something - something to keep the child away from direct contact with the ground. She hurried to lay the bare form in her lap, winding her shirt around the shivering skin carefully.
A tiny part of her mind took note of gender, filing it away even as Trio lifted the baby back to her shoulder, nestling her against bare skin and hoping body-warmth might help a bit. Her bra was doing little to aid in her own warmth, but as soon as she got inside, she could take care of that. The wet blanket she snagged up as an afterthought, draping it over one arm before cradling the child carefully. "I'm here, little girl. I'll protect you," she crooned softly.
She rose awkwardly, arms wrapped protectively around the little girl now in her charge. The harp was no more - perhaps they'd taken it in payment. Perhaps it had disappeared sometime earlier. It didn't matter to her. What mattered was definitely that she had a whole new responsibility. She padded for the gate, hands deftly unlatching it now that her mind wasn't frozen with worry, and she opened it carefully, stepping inside and immediately kneeling so that Sankouri could get a whiff of the child. In response, the tiny baby mewled softly, pulling away from Sankouri's cold nose and sniffing. She seemed content to lean against Trio's shoulder though, closing her eyes as soft little baby snores began to float to Trio's ears.
"Let's get inside, hmm?" Trio whispered, rising and pausing for a moment. She shifted the light weight in her arms, closing her eyes as a feelings flooded to the surface from where they'd long been ignored. It felt so... perfect to be holding a little one like this - to feel the soft, trusting weight press against you and hear the happy snores, barely more than breaths of air. She'd never expected to feel quite this... maternal, despite the bevy of strays and companions that found their way into her home. "I'm here," she said once more, repeating it more for herself. And as she started toward the house, she blinked quickly, fighting back the odd feeling of contented tears that threatened to fall.
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 9:44 am
Once inside, it was easy to see why the child had stayed asleep throughout the trip - she was still shivering and looked weaker than a baby should... even one so small as this one. In the back of her mind, Trio wondered vaguely if all children were so very small and fragile-seeming as infants. She had little enough experience with human... or humanoid... babies. But that was far less important than getting the child warm, fed, and clean.
"Az, see if Dal or Levon will go get some baby formula," she said quickly, to the still-bleary angel who'd padded out into the hall when the back door slammed shut. "And bottles. We'll need bottles. Any decent grocery store should sell at least a cheap one. I can pick up better stuff when I go into town today." The angel stared at the top fin on the baby's head, then chuckled faintly, padding off through the house, his steps muffled by fuzzy bunny slippers. Trio thought she heard him mutter something about picking up another stray, but by the time she realized it, he'd already disappeared into the room Dalreidan and Levon shared with multiple zurui and pixapets.
Thankfully, none of her household, other than Az, was about. Trio slipped out of the kitchen and into her own room, laying the child on the bed long enough to don another shirt before gathering the child up again. "A bath, I think, while we wait for them to return with food for you, hmm?" she murmured, as the baby opened one lazy eye. She stared up for a moment, the deep indigo of her gaze falling on Trio thoughtfully before the lid slipped closed again and she nestled into the bed.
Trio smiled faintly. "C'mon. Bath time, and then hopefully I'll have something to feed you, and THEN you can sleep," she murmured, already trying to think of clothing she might be able to use for the girl. She finally settled on just a blanket - something dry, warm, and clean, and washing the soft, sea-green cloth she'd found her in. "You need a name, you know," she murmured, hefting the girl up onto one shoulder as she'd done just a few days before with Arkanti. It felt comfortable to hold the slight weight this way, and the girl's head drooped forward until she'd nestled into Trio's shoulder. The blonde had to stop for a moment, almost melting at the gentle trust. "We'll find you a good one, I promise, little girl."
In the end, Trio opted not to immerse the girl so much as sponge bathe her - two large mixing bowls, some gentle soap, a wash cloth and a couple of towels and one space heater later, the baby was clean and awake, looking around curiously. Trio was, during this time, treated to at least one of the fouler aspects of raising an infant - fortunately, the blonde had sense enough to wear old clothes, and wasn't afraid of a bit of mess. She washed it away, moving on without pausing a beat. And when it was done, and she was gently rubbing the girl dry, she blinked, realizing what she'd forgotten to ask her resident kitsune to get. "Diapers," she groaned, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. A handcloth did the job for the moment, tied awkwardly in place, and Trio tucked her into a blanket, sighing softly. "I'll have to pick some up when we're in town, I guess. And hope that you don't do anything too awful before then."
The child seemed to agree, nodding faintly and nestling into the blanket with an oddly musical little sigh. Trio smiled gently, cuddling her as she thought. "You know... for a while, way back, I almost considered talking to Schu about... well, it's not important now, but maybe the name would suit?" Behind her back, Aziraphale was grinning, waggling slender fingers at the baby as he listened in approval. "What do you think of the name Annora?"
"Perhaps," Aziraphale said quietly, "a name suited to her arrival? This IS the child the harp attracted, yes?" When Trio nodded, he continued. "Harper, perhaps? Telyn?" When Trio turned, wrinkling her nose at him, he chuckled, wracking his brain for other harp-based names. "Lyre? It can also mean 'harp.'"
"Too plain," Trio said. "I'd prefer to stick with Annora. Her grandfather will like it... and Schu might, too, since it's German."
Aziraphale chuckled again, ushering Trio to a place where she could sit and hold the child. "What about... oh... pairing Annora with a harp name?" he suggested.
"Know of any that are soft?" Trio asked in return, arching an eyebrow.
The angel frowned, reaching out to touch 'Annora's' head fin with tender fingers. "What about Lyris? It's a variation of Lyre - feminine only. Annora Lyris... it rolls off the tongue rather pleasingly." As he spoke, the girl began to fuss lightly, starting to frown and look around as though expecting something. When it didn't immediately arrive, she frowned deeper, starting to draw breath. Aziraphale, grinning in triumph at Trio, didn't immediately notice.
Trio sounded out the words herself a couple of times, considering for a long minute before nodding. A grin lit her face, and she shifted Annora, holding her up until she could see the girl's face. Two baleful indigo eyes peered back at Trio. "Annora Lyris. What do you think?"
Their answer was a sharp, painful wail as Annora decided that the name was far less important than food.
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 2:09 pm
If there was one thing Trio loved most about Dalreidan, it was his pragmatism. He returned from the grocery store with what he could find - a small canister of baby formula, a cheap plastic bottle complete with n****e, and a small package of diapers - admittedly, they were too-large for the tiny baby Trio refused to put down, but they'd do for the moment. The kitsune set the bag down on the table beside Trio even as his brother grinned and leaned in to tickle Annora's cheek. "She's a cutie," Levon said. "Is she sticking around?"
Trio nodded, digging through the bag with one hand before favoring Dalreidan with a blinding smile. "She's in our care, now. We have to protect her from the banality of the world until she can handle it properly herself."
"Did she come with a name?" Levon asked curiously. Dal left them to their conversation, moving to set a pot of water to heat and starting to prepare formula for her.
"Not that I could find. She was naked - just in a blanket, and cold, poor thing. Az and I named her Annora Lyris for now. If we find out what her parents named her, we'll look at telling her and letting her make the choice when she's old enough." Trio paused, tucking her cheek against Annora's temple as the fin on the side of her head folded against Trio's skin. "When she's old enough, we'll tell her everything," she sighed softly, already torn by the idea. "She'll have to know."
Levon nodded, not catching the tone in Trio's voice. But Dal, far more used to the blonde's masks, moved forward, leaving the bottle heating even as he rested a hand on Trio's shoulder. Annora, tucked against Trio's shoulder, burbled at him, lifting one tiny hand up. Trio felt her fight, and smiled gently, glancing up at Dalreidan before handing the child up to him.
Dal smiled gently, taking the child and cradling her. Annora seemed happy for the moment, happier still several minutes later when the kitsune grabbed the bottle and made his way out to the back porch to take in the early morning while feeding her. Trio glanced at Levon wryly. "You know...," she murmured, eyes soft and content. "He'd make a good father, if he just stopped intimidating people long enough to find a mate." She rose, beginning to clean up after the mess they'd made. "I'll take her into town later. I want her to meet Jaden Silvermoon... find out what she is. Pick up all the supplies we'll need. Think you'd be willing to pick us up at Pixapets after you meet with Aniya to discuss the wedding?"
Levon nodded, grinning widely. "I suppose I'm taking the car? Do you want Aniya and I to look for anything?"
Trio shook her head. "No. I'll pick up everything. Once we've got an infant carseat, we'll be able to cart Annora around and whatnot. I can have most things delivered to Pixapets and just cart it home from there," she pointed out.
"All right then - I'll pick you up about six?" Trio nodded, watching as he grabbed the keys. "I need to be going. I promised Aniya I'd meet her early today." He paused halfway out the room, glancing back at Trio. "Remind me again why we didn't just elope?"
Trio laughed, eyes sparkling. "Because whatever Youko left of you, I'd get to play with if you did. Have fun today," she said warmly, rising and heading off to grab a shower while Annora was contentedly eating outside.
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 2:10 pm
Schuldig was much less nervous as he walked up to Trio's door this time than the last few times he'd done the same thing, but he was concerned. He raised his hand and knocked, waiting with little patience for someone to answer. I thought things were going to be different, he thought unhappily. I know I've been busy, but...
He heard the first call of someone claiming to be on the way to get the door, and the soft-spoken (but surprisingly rigid) angelic voice overriding them. Just as the knob started to turn, however, a new voice split the air, the wail far louder than expected... and definitely wince-worthy. When Aziraphale looked out, he wore a pained expression that faded only slightly as he saw Schuldig. "Ah... come in...."
Schuldig's eyes were wide from the wailing sound. "What's going ON in there?" he asked.
"We have a new... member of the family," Aziraphale said quietly, as the wail finally faded. Now that it was quiet, Schuldig could hear Trio singing softly to... whatever-it-was. The lullaby was gentle, and happily enough, apparently soothing.
"...Oh," Schuldig said, thinking of his newest addition, back home. The statue had been around for a while, but the 8-year-old child who had come out of it certainly hadn't. "Is it OK if I go see Trio? Or...maybe I should come back later," he said uncomfortably.
"Go ahead. I think she'd be happy to see you," Aziraphale urged gently, a kind smile on his face. "I daresay she's missed you."
Schuldig beamed despite himself and headed past Aziraphale into the house. He followed the sound of singing to its source, easing the door open silently and poking his head in.
Trio was in her own room, her back to him as she paced back and forth, still singing. She didn't seem to notice his arrival, focusing on the task at hand. When she paused to get a breath, the child in her arms sucked in a sharp breath, clearly ready to scream that ear-splitting wail again.
Schuldig winced, bringing his hands up to cover his ears if the child did start to scream.
Instead, Trio began to sing again, and oddly, the child quieted... for the moment.
Finally, Schuldig relaxed again. "Hey Trio?" he called out softly, hoping the child wouldn't start screaming at the sound of his voice, or anything equally embarrassing.
Trio blinked, not stopping the soft song as she turned to face him. The child in her arms was... ODD - skin a watery blue and three sea-green fins on the top of its head. It was wrapped in a soft blanket, cradled carefully into Trio's arms as she brightened, moving toward him.
Chewing on his lower lip, Schuldig held his ground as she brought the baby in his direction. "Uh...maybe I should come back later when he...uh...she...is asleep," he said nervously.
Trio chuckled, rocking the child carefully. She let her voice die slowly, and this time, the infant seemed fine, more interested in chewing on a corner of her blanket than in demanding Trio sing more. "Just keep your voice gentle, hmm?" she asked, once she'd waited a moment to see if Annora really was content. She stood beside Schuldig, rising up to brush her lips against his in greeting. "What brings you here?"
The redhead eyed the baby nervously, and was careful to keep his voice pitched low as he replied. "I was just wondering what you were up to," he whispered. "I haven't seen you in a while, that's all."
Trio blushed vividly, wincing slightly at the thought. "I've been trying to get myself caught up on certain things. And then... well... this harp fell in my lap."
"Harp?" Schuldig asked, looking around in confusion.
The blonde moved to sit on her bed, carefully easing the child into the center of it and watching as the strange little girl laughed and grabbed at the dust motes floating in the air. "Um... yeah. Meet Annora Lyris... She's the harp. Or rather, she's what the harp attracted."
"Ahh..." Schuldig replied, following Trio and carefully sitting next to her. He put an arm around her and held the other one out towards the girl, wiggling the fingers a little. "Hey there Annora."
Trio leaned against him, a soft smile on her face as Annora's attention was grabbed by the fingers. She reached for them awkwardly, catching nothing but air, but giggling nonetheless.
"She was left out for me... I'm not sure quite what she is yet, but I do know she's some sort of Faerie." She leaned her head against Schuldig's shoulder, closing her eyes contentedly. "She needs me."
Despite himself, Schuldig smiled. "You seem really happy," he whispered, continuing to wiggle his fingers at the laughing child. He had to admit, when they were happy, they were pretty cute. It was just the rest of the time...
Trio opened her mouth to say something cliched, like 'Well you're here.' He could hear her think it, then pause, as she reconsidered. "I am," she said instead, eyes opening as she peered up with him. "I really am."
The smile widened, though his eyes were a little sad. "Good," he whispered. "That's really good."
"I'll be taking Annora to see Jaden tomorrow," Trio murmured, watching Schu's eyes carefully. "He should be able to give me some idea of what she is. From there, I can figure out how best to care for her." She frowned, reaching up to lay a hand on his chest. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Schuldig said quickly. "I'm really glad that you're so happy, Trio. She seems like a good little...whatever she is. Seems like she'll be taking up a lot of your time."
Trio nodded, her eyes instinctively drawn back to the child. "Yeah. A whole lot, at first, at least. Although thankfully, I've got some help around the house." She seemed to miss the significance of the statement, instead reaching out to brush her fingers over the tiny bald head. The baby was small - even for an infant, and looked delicate somehow.
Schuldig nodded, a sigh bubbling up inside of him that he managed to repress. "Maybe I should go," he said softly.
That drew Trio's attention, hurt blooming over her face. "But... you just got here," she murmured, confused.
He hesitated. "But...you seem kinda occupied," he said uncertainly. "I don't want to intrude."
"...Oh," Trio said, though her mind screamed a dozen other things. "Um..." She pulled away, no longer sure quite what to do. As the mental protestations faded, one thought remained, whispering through her head. Why would he want to hang around now that a baby's here...? It was insidious, rising each time Trio managed to batter it down. "If that's what you want..."
It was fortunate that Schuldig was a telepath, or things might have gotten worse. "It...it's not that I want that, Trio," he said. "I just thought...you were happier with the baby, that's all. And that's OK!" he added quickly. "I just don't want to force myself back into your life if that's not what you want."
Trio blinked, staring at Schu for a moment before relaxing and smiling softly at him. She moved forward, nestling into his arms as one of her hands reached out to tease Annora again. "I want you around," she said softly. "Period. Having Annora around doesn't change that... just some of the circumstances of it."
"Really?" Schuldig blurted out, then glanced away, gritting his teeth at the tone of his voice. Wow...needy-sounding much? ******** reached up, drawing his face back until their eyes met. "Really," she nodded, searching that gaze. "Schu... I...," she murmured, voice fading fora moment before she found the courage to strengthen it again. "I love you. That won't change either."
Schuldig's cheeks warmed slightly and he turned his face slightly to nuzzle his lips against her palm. "Sorry," he whispered. "I love you, too."
Trio found herself beaming, moving to lean up to kiss him. The motion was arrested halfway when Annora, deciding that being ignored very definitely was a bad thing, abruptly screamed again, her tiny face scrunched up and growing red.
Schuldig jumped and his hand dropped to the back of his jacket for an instant before he relaxed. "Jesus Christ," he swore, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry!"
Trio chuckled, looking at once resigned and amused. She reached over, gathering Annora up. Although picking the child up was awkward, Schuldig could see that once Annora was in her arms, Trio seemed to be comfortable holding the baby, tucking her against one shoulder with a hand up to cradle her head and ensure it didn't flop. "I think she's a little young to notice yet," she assured him, as Annora, pleased with the results of her demand, settled again.
"Yeah...I guess," Schuldig replied, grinning as she quieted. "But if you're stuck with her, I'd better try to get out of the habit, because one day she WILL understand. And we don't want her turning out like me."
"I don't think you turned out all that bad," Trio murmured. "Though... a little less taking the Lord's name in vain might be a good thing." It was the first time she'd ever mentioned something in terms like that, and it felt slightly odd as it left her lips.
Schuldig blinked, giving her an odd look. "I guess," he allowed, his expression softening into a smile again. "I never really thought about it in those terms."
Trio blushed, twisting to look down at Annora so that she didn't have to meet Schuldig's gaze. Her childhood was creeping back up on her, it seemed. "I was going to take Annora by Jaden today - find out if there's anything special I need to do for her. But... maybe the three of us could spend a day together and I could go tomorrow? She's already eaten..."
"It's up to you," Schuldig said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I'd love to spend the day with you, but if you're concerned about her, you should take her to Jaden."
"I... probably should take her today," Trio sighed, twisting to tuck herself against Schuldig even as she held Annora. "But... can I be selfish and ask you to stick around a while? We could go sit out on the porch and swing...?"
"I don't think that's selfish," Schuldig declared. "Unless of course you think I'm selfish for saying that I'd love to do that."
Trio shook her head, grinning as she stole a kiss. "I don't think that's selfish at all." She rose, then hesitated, looking at Schuldig. "It... might be a while before we get another ALONE night, like we did last time..."
"That's OK," Schuldig hastened to reassure her as he rose to his feet. "I know how babies work - at least, in theory. I can be patient."
"Will you... be around, though?" Trio asked softly. "I mean... you'd be the closest thing she has to a father figure, you know..." The words were nervous, hesitant.
Schuldig stopped dead and stared at her. "M-me?" he asked in a slightly strangled voice. "A father?"
Trio watched him carefully, her nerves a lead weight in her stomach. "You don't have to be..."
He shook his head rapidly. "No... I mean, yes, of course I guess I will be, since I'll be around all the time and everything." He glanced up at Trio wryly. "But you'll have to make sure she knows not to, like...take me seriously, or do anything I say, or, you know, emulate me. Okay?"
Trio's grin threatened to split her face as she gazed at him. "We'll talk about it," she promised softly, leaning in to kiss him ebfore dragging him off to sit in the swing. "Don't worry."
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:53 pm
There was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, it appeared that no one was there, but on the doorstep, a festive easter basket, brimming with candies, was left.
The centerpiece of the basket, nestled in beside the chocolate bunny with the marzipan eyes is a painted egg.
Poking out of the plastic grass of the basket, there is a letter:Karma Dear Trio,
Happy (early) Easter! Its been quite a year so far, hasn't it? Let's hope that our little ones bring us joy for the rest of the duration of it. I realize that your baby may be too young for the candies, but that doesn't mean her mommy can't enjoy them for her if she likes. You may have noticed the painted egg, and just to let you know, its not for eating. The yolks have been blown out so that it will survive long past this Easter if you would like to keep it.
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Karma and Arkie
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:32 am
There were some things that Trio became a master at rather quickly... like changing diapers. It took almost no time for the blonde to learn the fastest, easiest way to change Annora with little enough leaking. She didn't like the powder hawked by so many of her relatives, though, instead opting for the petroleum jelly suggestions she found online. Bathing was a bit more difficult, but eventually she figured out that, too - Annora certainly seemed happy to be in the bath, squirming against the little frame that Trio had purchased to hold her in place with her head above water. The thing that took Trio the longest to get used to was the idea of waking at all hours to feed the poor girl. It took Dalreidan three days to step in and take over a couple of the night feedings, giving Trio the opportunity to get some rest. But the five am feeding was Trio's. She still woke at that time. But now she'd wake Annora, wrap her up against the chill of the morning air, and take her and a warmed bottle outside, along with her own coffee. It took a bit more situating, but once more, she could relax, enjoying the early morning quiet as she fed her new "daughter".
She'd taken a break from Pixapets as well - the shop had settled solely into Levon's care, who was busy trying to ensure that all the backlogged orders were filled and taking care of the current pets. Trio, instead, had opted to focus her attention on the tiny girl demanding her attention - and demanding was often precisely the right word. Annora's voice was surprisingly strong and shrill for her age. At least, that was Trio's never-voiced suspicion. She knew only that music seemed to soothe the child beautifully - didn't matter what type, though Trio's experimentation was fairly conservative. Annora's crying was painful enough without adding something harsh to the mix.
All in all, Trio was quickly learning that caring for a baby was a time-consuming, exhausting, and absolutely incredible experience. There was something remarkable about holding Annora in her arms. As children went (if Artisan was anything to go by), Annora was a very quiet child. There were none of the fights that Trio had geared herself up for. Every time she went online to check for any further details about how to care for an infant, she was greeted with warnings for behavior that just... didn't seem to exist in Annora's repertoire. Which left Trio happy but bewildered, and didn't mean she was any more patient when her sleep was interrupted too often and her body was functioning more due to caffeine than energy. She often found herself half-dozing as she rocked Annora, to the point where she used a lightweight blanket to secure Annora in case her arms went slack.
And through it all, Sankouri only watched silently, guarding the two with a solemn determination.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:52 am
It started with a visit from a pard - a great winged cat who spoke. His voice was oddly grating, though Trio couldn't quite put her finger on just why it made her wince. And his demeanor was far from amiable. But in the end, he'd left another pard egg in her care, this one apparently intended for her 'daughter', Annora. At first, Trio had tucked the egg in the same room with her own, keeping a careful eye on both as often as she could. She didn't allow her sprockets in there, and while Trinity had been vaguely curious about the whole thing, he hadn't been inclined to go tinker with it. He was far too busy redesigning her toaster oven at the moment. And Annora was too young...
...Or was she? Lately, Trio had noticed the infant's eyes opening more, looking around with some sense to them. She reached out for things, tried to interact with toys. And Trio was fast coming to the conclusion that perhaps it was time to introduce Annora to her first pet. The blonde's opinion had been confirmed the night before by Dalreidan, who watched Annora during the days that Trio had to be at the Pixa shop.
"She's growing up," he had pointed out, despite the fact that his hands could still ever-so-easily cradle that small head, that the body fit well along his arms. "You've noticed that, right?"
Trio nodded. She had noticed. She picked Annora up so regularly that the girl didn't immediately seem any larger or heavier, but it was apparent in other tiny ways, like the way her eyes tracked movement, peering out at the world in boundless curiosity. Or the way she'd started reaching for the music box whenever Trio wound it for her. And Trio had noticed, recently, that she'd started to coo at Trinity whenever he floated over her crib. The blonde was suspecting that Annora was trying to communicate.
So when Dalreidan pointed out that Annora was growing up, Trio'd had no choice but to agree with him. And the comment lingered in her head that night, floating through her mind as she stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Annora needed to meet this pard that Zaxzi had delivered. Trio's decision remained with her for the next couple of days, lurking in her head as she played with Annora and examined the latest 'improvements' Trinity had made to her toaster oven. (Which, incidentally, was looking less like a toaster oven and more like a clock.) And when she finally decided, she was determined not just to introduce Annora to the pard, but also Trinity, and perhaps a few of those ever-inquisitive little sprockets that she'd picked up to keep Trinity company.
She waited one more day, knowing that the best time to catch Trinity for such an introduction would be after his daily cleaning and oiling. If she tried before, all she'd do is wind up making him stubborn and irritable. He liked creating things, but derailing his train of thought often meant that she had to listen to muttering and grumbling in addition to the ideas that abruptly cropped up throughout any conversation with him. So after his cleaning and oiling it was. She got Annora bathed first, as always, and once the little girl was clean, dry, and tucked into a onesie, Trio turned her attention to Trinity, dragging him out of his own little world for a charging.
Trinity liked being charged - he'd developed a rather fast friendship with the Forge Sprockets (who were, as yet, nameless. Trio was having a bit of trouble coming up with names for everyone, especially when they didn't remain still for very long and she lost track of who all she'd taken home in the first place.) - and he liked being cleaned and oiled. What he didn't like was being interrupted in the middle of figuring out what else he'd like to do to Trio's toaster oven. He hadn't seen much point to the initial configuration, but while the clock seemed more useful in the long run, there were so many other ideas he had to play with. Trio had tried, once, to guide what he was doing to the toaster oven. The end result was Trinity growling and Trio sighing and giving up. The oven was now his, and Trio was already debating trying to add on a small workshop to her home for him.
So Trinity came with her, submitting to the cleaning, then oiling, and finally, as he charged, she explained what they were going to do next. Annora was on the floor nearby, laying on her back as three of the Hope Sprockets (Wing, HeavyArms, and Sandrock - Trio had managed to name a few of the sprockets, at least) danced and played over her. Pale arms lifted, chubby little hands grabbing awkwardly at the sprockets, and it only reinforced what Dalreidan had said. When her explanation was over, likely far more explanation than the event warranted, Trinity was silent for a few moments, processing the whole idea.
"So we're going to meet eggs," he finally asked, and though he didn't sound particularly mocking, Trio smiled wryly anyway. "But the creatures within them aren't likely to remember meeting us?" She nodded, and he mulled over that for a few seconds before asking, "Are they done with the incubators?"
A startled blink later, Trio was nodding again, already anticipating his next question. "Yes, Trin, you can have the incubators to play with."
Trinity wasted no time. "I'm game. Do you think Annora will remember it?"
Trio chuckled, shrugging. She moved to pick up the small girl as the Forge Sprocket Trinity had charged from that day fell away and hovered near him. "I dunno. But... it feels right to do this, you know?" Trinity didn't know, but rather than pointing this out, he kept silent.
When they went to the pard's room, it was Trio, Annora, Trinity, and a few of the sprockets who'd decided that they were too curious about what was going on to allow it to happen away from them. The five Hope Sprockets made an odd-looking crown around Trio's head, while one of the music sprockets seemed content to remain clutched in Annora's tiny fist. The other two whirled around her head, faint classical music floating from them. Although neither was playing the same song, they had somehow managed to mesh the two pieces until they sounded as though they went together. Duo, the Faith Sprocket, and a Life Sprocket with no name joined the two Forge Sprockets to complete the entourage.
Trio opened the door slowly, but it didn't stop the sprockets from slipping into the room first. Only the five faith and three music sprockets remained where they were. The rest moved to examine the two eggs. Of them all, Duo and the Life Sprocket remained near them. Something in the eggs spoke to them, made them want to remain nearby. The Life Sprocket in particular pulsed out a faint wash of his energy over the eggs, bouncing a bit when the creatures within the eggs seemed to respond. He darted back to the music sprockets, a stream of oddly mechanical sound pouring from him. The two music sprockets abandoned Annora's head and moved to circle around Annora's new egg.
Trinity was the next into the room, though he held back a bit as he waited for Trio to follow him. When they were all inside (the last, of course, being the silent Sankouri, who still never left Trio's side), Trio shut the door again, then moved to sit down before the pink-purple pard egg that she'd initially chosen for her own. Sitting Annora carefully on her lap, Trio took the girl's small hand and leaned forward until both hands rested against the smooth surface. "This is a pard egg, Annora," she murmured, while the girl teethed on the third music sprocket in rapt fascination. "This one will hatch into a companion for me, but right over there...," and Trio turned them both, pointing toward the striped egg the music sprockets were orbiting, "is an egg whose baby is meant to be your friend. What do you think of that?" The girl's soft giggle and clapping startled Trio, making the blonde wonder if Annora had understood her, or was merely approving of the sight of the sprockets floating around the egg.
Trinity floated forward, hovering directly before Trio's egg for a long moment before saying simply, "I am Trinity. When you have a name, we will meet again." Then he turned to Trio. "Where are those incubators?" Trio just chuckled.
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